THIS program - Canadian Stage

BERKELEY STREET THEATRE mar 18-apr 13 2013

13.14

4-show packages start at $98

Akram Khan in DESH, Photo by Richard Haughton.

the flood thereafter venus in fur yukonstyle desh winners and losers needles and opium london road tribes helen lawrence belleville the tempest replica macbeth the taming of the shrew

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Melissa James Gibson is a very fine playwright indeed. With the sharpest of scalpels and the most delicate of plumes, she both carves and calligraphies portraits and situations of deeply rooted yet sublimely graceful poetic truth. And she does so with apparent effortlessness, allied with a wickedly playful sense of language. We are delighted and proud to be presenting the first ever professional production of one of her plays in Toronto. THIS is the story of Jane, of a moment in the life of Jane. Her husband Roy has died a year earlier, and Jane is still floundering amongst the residual shards of grief and mourning, inadvertently leaving friends, values, and especially her daughter to float in limbo awaiting her return. THIS is also the story of those in her nearest orbit, 9 year-old daughter Maude, her best friend Marrell and husband Tom, her other best friend Alan: each is confronted, to varying degrees and in varying modes, with the deep disarray and self-questioning that is provoked when a loved one dies so prematurely, and mortality becomes a reality. Enter Jean-Pierre, a French Doctor Without Borders now living in New York where the story is situated. It is his very borderlessness which causes him to infect each of these lives, to help 4

bring into focus hitherto repressed questions about meaning and value and, inevitably, desire. Foreign invader of their otherwise hermetic social circle, Jean-Pierre’s arrival and departure lead to a series of actions and realisations that will leave each one in a new or at least renewed place. And then there is this: In a letter to his wife, Olga Knipper, dated April 20, 1904, Anton Chekhov responded to a question she had asked him about the meaning of life: “You ask: ‘What is life?’ That is like asking: ‘What is a carrot?’ A carrot is a carrot, and we know nothing more.” Less than three months later, Chekhov died. Jane’s final act in THIS is to eat a carrot, a crunch, an affirmation of her return to life after having been absent for altogether too long. Are the consequences of this absence serious, irreversible, irremediable? Or is this, THIS, just the stuff that makes up life, that life is made of?

Matthew Jocelyn Director, THIS Artistic & General Director Canadian stage

The following is an edited version of a note that Matthew Jocelyn sent to the show’s designers early on in the show creation process. THIS is a play about “this”: the designated “what I am in the middle of,” precluding distance, perspective, appreciation, evaluation. It is my reality here and now, this thing I am going through, this thing I am living, this “not anything else.” It is the ultimate “nothing but this” word, it sounds absolute, inalterable, inescapable. It has a fatality to it, a sense of “all or nothingness” - it is indivisible. There are no thislets. Also, it belies other words, it defies explanation or more discerning definition. Once you say “this” it is as though all has been said, with no further clarification necessary or possible. It is all. It is, however, TOTALLY subjective. To the person to whom you describe “this”, “this” is forcibly “that.” Unless you are having the same experience: this thing we are going through together. Otherwise, if I show you “this,” you will call it “that.” It is “this” only for me. As the ultimate expression of subjectivity, it is therefore also that of distinction between oneself and others: my “this” defines me, defines the contours of my immediate experience, my present instant. There is a paradox here, a kind of mystery force of the subjective experience. Because it defies other descriptive terms, because it erases all nuance and contextualisation, “this” can in fact be boundaryless. “This” rarely starts out in a precise place and finishes at another - it is all but impossible to measure the

Photo by Ted Glaszewski

Photo by V. Tony Hauser

Preliminary Notes from the director to the designers

surface area of any given “this.” No framework into which “this” fits neatly, but rather a tendency to seep and leak and expand well beyond any determinate contours. “This” is generally “all of this” - and all of it is ever-expanding. It seeps as far as does the subjective experience, which we all know can be limitless. Insofar as it is possible, we want to try to create a theatrical experience which produces, at least fleetingly, a sense of “this” - of this implied connection to what is going on, this undividedness. THIS is not a play taking place on a stage which is a neatly-tied-up-in-a-bow “that” kind of experience. It is a right here, right now performative experience, a fictional action made up of real people and real ephemeral events. Sure, there is theatre – a soundscape, lighting, actors: and you pay admission to get in. But it is as unformalized as possible, or rather it is as lacking in definable contours as possible. “This” is the theatre, “this” expands beyond the stage and into the audience, the lobby, the backstage area. It takes over, or has already taken over, it occupies a territory ripe for the taking. « ‘This’ abhors a vacuum, » as the expression goes. 5

Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann

Designer’s Note The idea of blurring theatrical boundaries and “undesigning” THIS followed from a discussion Matthew and I had about how best to bring the text to physical life in the Berkeley Street Theatre space. One of our goals was to include the audience as much as possible in a more fluid and intimate way than the traditional proscenium configuration allows. How best to do that? We decided to move the seating around, to take the seats that are farthest away from the performance area – those in the upper balcony - and integrate them into the seating area on the main floor. By altering the hard shapes of the audience seating, we hope to make the acting area more integrated with the audience; not to be interactive, but intimate, to break down the distance between performer and audience member. Another direction we decided on was to bring the Berkeley Street Theatre building, which has a natural warmth and a rich history, back to what it was approximately 40 or more years ago. We removed the stage, which is traditionally the defining feature of the space, 6

and are stripping the floor down to one of its original wood layers. We are unblocking as many of the beautiful old windows as we can, which will allow natural light to enter the performance space, changing the look of evening and matinee performances. We are also opening an original central door to the street. In doing that, we are acknowledging the world beyond the stage, the environment and life on Berkeley Street. We are using very few additional stage elements, only ones that are purely functional. For the most part, the design elements are intended to feel as if they are possibly part of this historic building that we are in. The actors may not always be wearing exactly the same costume for every performance. They may choose different elements from their “wardrobe.” In the rehearsal process, we are deciding what props are truly essential to the production; to give the actors what is vital but not to decorate or embellish where the text gives us everything we need to know. The text is very fluid and we could not imagine that numerous set changes would support the rhythm of the story. Melissa James Gibson has given us witty, poignant and beautiful text that always makes it clear where we are and who these people are. Matthew and I spent considerable time just sitting in the Berkeley Street Theatre, imagining how we might situate the story in this space. After some excavation and exploratory deconstruction we decided on the undesigning approach. I hope that you enjoy the space and feel welcome in this environment we have created for THIS.

p resents

THIS

By

A C anad ian S tag e pro d u c ti o n

Melissa James Gibson

Mar 18 – Apr 13, 2013 Berkeley Street Theatre

Directe d by

Cast

Creative

Jane

Set an d Costu m e Desig ner

Laura Condlln

Astrid Janson

J ean - Pierre

Lig htin g Desig ner

Christian Laurin

Jason Hand

Marrell

Sou n d Desig ner

Yanna McIntosh

Richard Feren

Alan

associate sou n d Desig ner

Alon Nashman

william fallon

To m

M usic Co nsu ltant

Jonathon Young

Ron Davis

Matthew Jocelyn

Orig inal M usic by

Peter Eldridge Stag e Manag er

Sandy Plunkett Assistant Stag e Manag er

Kristen Kitcher This performance runs approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. There is no intermission. radio sponsors

Thank you to: Tara Nesbitt (Sheridan College), Scott Penner THIS is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York. Playwrights Horizons, Inc., New York City, produced the World Premiere of THIS Off-Broadway in 2009.

Astrid Janson

THIS was commissioned by Playwrights Horizons with funds provided by The Leading National Theatres Program, a joint initiative of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Set and Costume Designer

Cover photo: Laura Condlln 7

cast and creative team CAST

Creative Jane

Laura Condlln For Canadian Stage: Beckett: Feck It! (in association with Queen of Puddings). Other theatre credits include: Most recently 4:48 Psychosis for Necessary Angel. Eleven seasons with the Stratford Festival where highlights include The Matchmaker (Irene Molloy), Elektra (Chrysothemis), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helena), Merry Wives of Windsor (Mistress Page), The Liar (Clarice/Lucrece/Sabine), Pentecost (Amira), Peter Pan (Mrs. Darling), Shakespeare’s Universe: Her Infinite Variety (The Moll), and As You Like It (Audrey). Elsewhere: Having Hope at Home, Marion Bridge (Globe Theatre, Regina); Over the River and Through the Woods (Theatre Aquarius). Laura holds a BFA in theatre from the University of Windsor and is a graduate of the Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre (Stratford). Jean-Pierre

Christian Laurin Originally from Montreal, Christian Laurin moved to Toronto in 1992. As a bilingual artist, he has appeared in Carmen and Macbeth (COC); Le Dieu Du Carnage (TFT); Dante’s Inferno (Theatre SmithGilmour); as well as Mump and Smoot in Something Else (Yale Repertory Theatre.) His supporting roles in feature films include Disney’s The Pacifier, Pathfinder for Hallmark Entertainment and April One for Primedia. He has appeared in numerous roles on television including 8

Warehouse 13, the CBC MOW of Victor, the life story of Canadian Olympian Victor Davis, and HBO’s The Sopranos opposite James Gandolfini. Christian has recurring roles in the television series Les Bleus de Ramville and Hard Rock Medical premiering this spring. Marrell

Yanna McIntosh For Canadian Stage: The Syringa Tree, Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Elsewhere: Speaking in Tongues (Company Theatre/ Belfry/Canadian Stage); Elektra, Cymbeline, The Little Years, Richard III, Winter’s Tale, Dangerous Liaisons, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Trojan Women, Palmer Park (Stratford Festival); Ruined (Obsidian/Nightwood - Dora Award); Cloud Nine (Mirvish); Hedda Gabler, Lambton Kent (Volcano); Generous, Skylight (Tarragon - Dora Award); Belle (Factory); Valley Song (New Globe - Dora Award); and Danny King of the Basement (Roseneath). Film & Television: Republic of Doyle, Port Hope, This is Wonderland, Riverdale (CBC); The Line (TMN); The Listener, Doomstown (CTV - Gemini Award); Heaven on Earth; The Sentinel. Alan

Alon Nashman For Canadian Stage: Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Dora Nomination). Other theatre: Hirsch (Stratford Festival); Forests, Scorched (Dora Nomination), Democracy, Alias Godot, Remnants (Tarragon);

Talley’s Folly, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Resurgence); Hedda Gabler (Volcano); The Wild Duck (Soulpepper); The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Birdland); Macbeth (Modern Times); This Hotel, Wedding Day at the Cromagnons (Passe Muraille); Howl (Threshold/ Buddies in Bad Times); If Jesus Met Nanabush (De-ba-jeh-mujig); Reading Hebron, A Short History of Night (Factory). For THEATURTLE: Kafka and Son, Alphonse and The Snow Queen (Dora Nominations). Film and TV credits include Jonestown: Paradise Lost, Cinderella Man, Our Fathers, The Pact, The Assistant, Cracked and It Was You Charlie. Tom

Jonathon Young As co-founder of Vancouver-based Electric Company Theatre, Jonathon has collaborated on the making of 12 original productions since 1996. Jonathon has performed across Canada: Brilliant! (The Belfry); Romeo and Juliet (Vancouver Playhouse); Boeing Boeing (Arts Club); Tartuffe (The Citadel); Studies in Motion (Alberta Theatre Projects); the Invisible Life of Joseph Finch (The Centaur); and Beauty Queen of Leenane (National Arts Centre). Recent Toronto credits: No Exit (which he adapted with Kim Collier), Studies in Motion, and Tear the Curtain!, which he cocreated with Kim Collier and Kevin Kerr (Canadian Stage); Stockholm (Seventh Stage). He was a regular on the TV series Sanctuary for 4 years. This summer Jonathon plays Hamlet at Vancouver’s Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival.

Writer

Melissa James Gibson Recent plays include What Rhymes With America, [sic], Suitcase or, those that resemble flies from a distance; Brooklyn Bridge (with a song by Barbara Brousal) and Current Nobody. Her work has been produced and/or developed at the Atlantic Theater Company, Playwrights Horizons, Center Theatre Group, Soho Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, The Children’s Theatre Company, Steppenwolf, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Seattle Rep, Vancouver Playhouse and the Sundance Institute Theatre Lab among others, regionally and internationally. Honours: OBIE Award; Guggenheim Fellowship; Steinberg Playwright Award; Kesselring Prize; Whiting Writers Award; Lucille Lortel Foundation Playwrights’ Fellowship; LILLY Award; Jerome Fellow; MacDowell Colony Fellow. MFA: Yale School of Drama; graduate of New Dramatists. Teaching: Lecturer, Program in Theater, Princeton University, 2011, 2012. Film: screenplay for Untitled Christmas Tree Project, starring Paul Giamatti, Paul Rudd and Sally Hawkins, directed by Phil Morrison. TV: staff writer, The Americans. THIS and Other Plays is forthcoming from TCG.

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Creative Director

Matthew Jocelyn Matthew is Canadian Stage’s Artistic & General Director. Canadian Stage credits include: The Game of Love and Chance (director) and Fernando Krapp Wrote Me This Letter (director and translator). Recent directing credits include: Le roi Arthus, Die Frau Ohne Schatten (Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels); Erwartung, Das Gehege, Le Bal (Hamburg Staatsoper); The Architect, Macbeth, The Love of the Nightingale (Atelier du Rhin); The Liar (Stratford Shakespeare Festival). Translations include: Timberlake Wertenbaker’s The Love of the Nightingale, David Greig’s The Architect (Atelier du Rhin); Marivaux’s La Double Inconstance (University of Toronto). Matthew was formerly the Artistic & General Director of the Atelier du Rhin (Alsace, France). He is a recipient of the Chevalier des Art et des Lettres (French Ministry of Culture).

Set and Costume Designer

Astrid Janson Astrid is a multiple Dora Award winning set and costume designer whose most recent work at Canadian Stage was Fernando Krapp Wrote Me This Letter. Other credits include: The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs (Tarragon) and Doc (Soulpepper). She has designed in theatres across the country and extensively in Europe and the US, most recently Verdi’s opera Otello in Sweden. She designed the costumes for 12 of Michael Hollingsworth’s History Plays, most recently The War of 1812, a Stratford/ Videocabaret production which will be remounted at The Young Centre in March. She is also the recipient of a Gemini Award, a Toronto Drama Bench Award and the Silver Ticket Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. Lighting Designer

Jason Hand For Canadian Stage: The Arsonists, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Winter’s Tale. Recent Credits include: The Tales of Hoffmann (Edmonton Opera); The Amorous Adventures of Anatol (Tarragon); Turn of the Screw (Against the Grain); The Ugly One (Theatre Smash - Dora Award nomination); See How They Run (Theatre Aquarius). Other credits include: The Trespassers (Stratford) and productions for

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Against the Grain Theatre, Theatre Smash, George Brown College and Lighthouse Theatre Festival. Last Year, Jason collaborated with director Joel Ivany and designer Camellia Koo on a production of I Capuletti e i Montecchi that placed third in the biennial European Opera Directing Prize. Jason is the recipient of the 2012 Siminovitch Protege Prize. Upcoming: Blue Planet (YPT); Barber of Seville (Soulpepper Theatre Company). Sound Designer

Richard Feren Richard has been creating soundscores and music for Canadian theatre, dance and film since 1992. Canadian Stage credits include: The Test (in association with The Company Theatre), Blue/ Orange, and Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet). Other theatre credits include: Arigato, Tokyo; The Maids; Blasted; Silicone Diaries (Buddies In Bad Times); This Is What Happens Next (Necessary Angel); Terminus (Outside the March/Mirvish); SEEDS, Eternal Hydra (Crow’s Theatre); Endgame, The Royal Comedians, Fronteras Americanas (Soulpepper); When The Rain Stops Falling (Shaw Festival). Upcoming: Night of the Living Dead Live (Living Dead Inc.); Lady Windermere’s Fan (Shaw Festival). Richard has won seven Dora Mavor Moore Awards, received the 1999 Pauline McGibbon Award, and was shortlisted for the 2012 Siminovitch Prize.

Stage Manager

Sandy Plunkett For Canadian Stage: Stage Manager: The Test (in association with The Company Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Winter’s Tale, Romeo & Juliet (Shakespeare in High Park). Assistant Stage Manager: The Game of Love and Chance, The Cosmonaut’s last message... Selected credits elsewhere include: Yichud (seclusion) (Theatre Passe Murialle/ Convergence); The Silicone Diaries (Buddies in Bad Times); Through the Leaves (The Company Theatre). Sandy is the great-grandson of Morley Plunkett of the almost forgotten WW1 Canadian Vaudeville Troupe, The Dumbells. Assistant Stage Manager

Kristen Kitcher Kristen is very happy to be a part of THIS. Past work with Canadian Stage includes: Assistant Stage Manager for Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare in High Park), Fernando Krapp Wrote Me This Letter - An Attempt at the Truth, and Cruel and Tender. Stage Management credits include: No Great Mischief, Was Spring, The Sankofa Triilogy, After Akhmatova and If We Were Birds (Tarragon Theatre); Bird Brain and Love You Forever….and More Munsch (Young People’s Theatre); Wild Dogs (Nightwood Theatre) and six summers with Upper Canada Playhouse. Kristen recently completed a mentorship with The Fringe of Toronto Festival, thanks to the assistance from the Professional Theatre Training Program through Theatre Ontario. Much love and thanks to Scott and Abigail. 11

In conversation with the playwright THIS playwright Melissa James Gibson gave us some insight into what influenced the writing of this play.

Q: You have said that parenthood, and the passing of some of your friends, helped inspire THIS. Can you tell us how these influenced the play and what else affected the writing of THIS? A: What happens a lot, I’ve learned as a playwright, is you think you’re writing about one thing and discover you’re actually writing about something else. With THIS I thought I was exploring the subject of infidelity and found out that what I was really grappling with was mortality, which, when you get down to it, is the subject of all art. Mortality is the chalk within which we humans hopscotch… or something. My writing has without doubt been informed by my own experiences with birth and death, as I try, along with everyone else, to make sense of everything that happens in between. I lost four people I love to cancer within the eight months prior to the premiere of THIS in New York. You have your own lists titled Died Far Too Young. How does a person make sense of such things? How does a person remain in more constant contact with her relative luck? In a world where there is so much suffering what is the fair market value of one’s own? Why is it so difficult to keep hold of the fact that on life’s abacus, at least for me, the felicities far outnumber the infelicities? In terms of parenthood, I find that children are glorious and constant reminders of the uber timeline. Their very presence makes one more accountable to the universe, and also acutely alive to the perils of caring. All of a sudden, 12

next to the present pleasures you gain a new appreciation of all the potential grief, all the grief yet to be. And this can also be the point at which one clocks the fact that one is getting older, has reached the proverbial Middle, with friends who have done the same - and sometimes these are people who became friends under very different and younger circumstances. And then here we all are, manning our posts on the great continuum, fingers crossed we’re dressed for the weather. Q: Can you tell us why you chose “THIS” for the title of the play? A: I am interested in life’s myriad cusps, where on one side lies intensity and on the other, mundanity. For instance, when I was in labour with our second child there were several occasions during which my husband and obstetrician were staring out the window making small talk as I felt like I was quietly dying. And yet, these are exactly the sorts of moments that compel me, because they are full and complex and true. To me those jam-packed moments are the stuff of drama — layers of comedy and tragedy and lightness and weight, depending upon one’s perspective in any given moment. Life demands that we navigate this complexity with every breath. And then, life is full of instances where an event feels earth shattering at the time and piddling in retrospect. The reverse is true as well: things that feel insignificant can take on extraordinary meaning as time goes by. Every once in a while when a big event occurs that shifts our outlook on things we promise ourselves to hold onto this more expansive view, but as the days go by it’s often hard to make it last as regular life encroaches. The best we can do as humans is try to shape moments as they’re passing us by. All of which is a longwinded way of saying that when it came time to name what the play was grappling with it struck me that

it’s all the stuff that’s hard to name - so I landed on THIS. When it gets down to it, writing plays feels to me like emitting a primal scream with a smile. It is about expressing what feels urgent, despite the fact that the things that feel most urgent are also typically the things that defy expression—the things, in other words, at which words fail most spectacularly. Q: The classic “mid-life crisis” is the businessman who buys a Ferrari and takes up with the young secretary. Your characters are more modern than that businessman, but is there still a collective identity crisis at hand in THIS? A: Sure, but I don’t think identity crises are limited to mid-life. I think the characters in the play are dealing with what we all deal with: does who I am remotely resemble who I thought I’d be? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? And then there’s the question of not only who am I in the personal sphere, but what sort of person am I in the world? What do I contribute? What will they say about me when I’m gone and should that influence the way I conduct my life? The way in which the classic mid-life crisis is pertinent, though, is in terms of the characters’ desire to feel as alive as possible. And they are fallible, we are fallible. We do all sorts of inadvisable things, we humans, all the time, because somewhere within their inadvisability these things are also advisable, and even necessary - and even beautiful, at least in terms of naked need. As I write I attempt to unfold these things. Q: Your dialogue is unique, full of rhythms and spaces. Tell us about what happens in those spaces for your characters. A: Almost as long as I’ve been writing plays I’ve done so without using punctuation, except for the stage directions. The play on the page is a blueprint and playwrights are always searching for the best ways to communicate the spirit of the thing to the artists that will realize it in three

dimensions. So for me, the use of line breaks and capitalization is not meant as anything more exotic than an attempt to capture the thought patterns of the characters — the elisions, the backtracking, the self-edits and nonsequiturs that is the colloquial poetry of everyday conversation. Q: What playwrights and plays inspire your storytelling and your dialogue? A: Well, the great master at capturing the juxtapositions I refer to above was Chekhov. His plays are chock full of characters in terrible pain as they attend to the quotidian. And they’re also full of humour and ideas and, most of all, humanity. Q: We hear that you met with Matthew Jocelyn, our director, early in the process of bringing this show to Canadian Stage. Has there been anything special about your involvement in this particular production that you can share with us? A: When I first met Matthew I was immediately struck by his tremendous vision, as well as his ambition. He’s not interested in blah theater. I mean, nobody’s interested in blah theater, but in practice it takes courage to move beyond it. Matthew’s aesthetic has been informed by his experiences working abroad and in a variety of disciplines, and he has a wonderfully expansive view of the possible as far as live performance. He has a musical sensibility and successful productions are in no small part about capturing a play’s rhythms. Matthew seems committed to providing his audience with shows that are visceral and surprising and speak to the heart and the head simultaneously. In terms of our conversations about THIS, I’ve found him to be bursting with bold ideas that will explore and unpack the text, and I’m excited to see where he and his team of collaborators take THIS. Includes an excerpt from an essay that originally appeared in Playwrights Horizons’ subscriber bulletin, November 2009 and excerpts from an interview that was written for Center Theatre Group by Kristin Friedrich, a Los Angeles-based, free-lance writer.

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Photo by Ted Glaszewski

Deconstructing the Berkeley Street Theatre

Here’s a look at the transformation of the theatre for THIS. The Berkeley Street Theatre complex was historically a Consumers’ Gas Company building, as shown in the photo on the right from 1923. The windows and outside door, pictured above, have long been covered throughout the space’s history as a theatre. These photos illustrate the changes that went into stripping the Downstairs Theatre as close to its original state as possible, and turning it into THIS. 14

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Remembering Tom Hendry Tom Hendry, born in Winnipeg in 1929, was an acclaimed playwright, theatre administrator, arts policy analyst, and activist dedicated to creating and developing policy and institutions vital to support arts in Canada. He was also a long-standing and close friend of Canadian Stage. Hendry was a co-founder of Toronto Free Theatre in 1971 – discovering and initiating the transformation of the old gas works on Berkeley Street into a theatre. In 1988, the TFT merged with CentreStage to form what is now Canadian Stage. He played a foundational role in many of Canada’s essential arts organizations: in 1958 he co-founded (with John Hirsch) the Manitoba Theatre Centre (MTC), the first regional theatre in the country. He was the first literary manager of the Stratford Festival (1969-70) where his emphasis on the avant-garde influenced the creation of the Tom Patterson Theatre; he co-founded the Playwrights Co-op, which is now the Playwrights Guild of Canada, in 1971; he co-founded the playwrights colony at the Banff Centre for the Arts; among many other impressive and impactful initiatives. As Secretary General of the Canadian Theatre Centre (1964-69) he, with American consultant Danny Newman, introduced the season ticket approach to stabilize the finances of performing arts organizations in Canada. In that same role, Hendry persuaded the Canadian government to create a $10-million fund to guarantee Canadian Theatre Centre member participation in the Centennial performing arts program. Tom was also a prolific writer, his plays including: Trapped (MTC, 1962); Satyricon (Stratford, 1969), a 16

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controversial - and sold-out - musical about social corruption; Fifteen Miles of Broken Glass (Central Players, 1969), an anti-war play that was denounced in Parliament for its depiction of the burning of British flags and that won the Ontario Lieutenant Governor’s Medal; How Are Things With The Walking Wounded? (1972), Gravediggers of 1942 (1973) and Byron (1976, Toronto Free Theatre); Hogtown: Toronto the Good (Toronto Truck Theatre, 1981); and Not in My Back Yard (Golden Horseshoe Players, 1994). He also wrote for television, most notably for the CBC series King of Kensington. He was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada in 1995. He passed away in Toronto December 2, 2012. He will be sadly missed. Compiled with information from the Canadian Theatre Encyclopaedia and the Canadian Encyclopaedia.

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A Message from the Executive Director of Advancement, Tenny Nigoghossian Welcome to THIS, one of the most intimate and naturalistic plays you will have ever seen in the Berkeley Street Downstairs Theatre. Our production of this play is unique in that it features some of Canadian theatre’s favourite contributors: Matthew Jocelyn himself, Siminovitch award recipient and lighting designer Jason Hand, a talented cast of five celebrated actors, and you. Yes, the lights are on the audience tonight and some of you will even be seated on stage. We couldn’t be prouder, because just as you are part and parcel of the stories in THIS, you are also at the very core of our activities as a theatre company. In this production, there is no traditional set, nor is there a backstage area. There are a grand total of five props on stage. There is nothing on the stage except what is completely essential to the work, and today that includes the audience. Theatre is a collaborative art form and we at Canadian Stage are perpetually seeking to create work that resonates with our audiences, work that audiences can respond to and engage with. Your support is integral to the work we do every day. Though you may not always be as physically close to the action as you are now, we could not continue to take on new artistic challenges without you nearby. Our current donors are part of a tight-knit family; to each one of them, we are so grateful. If you haven’t already joined us, please consider doing so by making a donation. We’d be honoured to have your company. We are not in this alone, and today, our lights are shining on you too. Upcoming Donor Events Date

Event

Available To

Thursday, April 11

RACE opening night dinner

APC Members

Friday, April 19 – Sunday, April 21

APC Theatre Weekend trip to New York City

APC Members

Wednesday, April 24

RACE backstage tour

Partners and APC Members

Wednesday, May 8

The Golden Mean (Live) opening night dinner

APC Members

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Shining a light on our donors We consider each of our donors here at Canadian Stage to be an integral part of our family, and we cannot thank and recognize them for their commitments often enough. Everyone who has ever made a gift to Canadian Stage holds a special place in our hearts, but this page pays tribute to one of our supporters in particular - one whose commitment to this theatre company has been significant in her time as a subscriber and Partner. JANICE ROMALDI Janice moved to Toronto several years ago, leaving behind a career teaching young children and beginning a new path working part time in adult education. A lover of theatre, art, music and literature, she became a subscriber in 2005. In September 2011, she began devoting her time to us as a volunteer here at the Berkeley Street Theatre. She may have even checked your tickets, or helped you to your seats on your way in today. Janice is a quiet but an unfailingly positive presence at our theatres and her passion and enthusiasm is infectious. She inspires us every time we see her volunteering or attending donor events at the theatre. Janice joined our Partnership program during our 2011.12 season. Janice’s generous support as a donor enables us to continually challenge ourselves and our artists to explore new territories and find new ways of telling stories through live theatre. Janice says that volunteering at the Berkeley Street Theatre is “her little way of saying thank you,” but it is she who must be thanked. Our success is due in part to Janice: every Partner plays a role in our own story, and today we thank Janice in particular for everything she has given to us thus far and for her indomitable spirit. Thank you, Janice! To make a gift and join our Partnership program, or for more information on our upcoming events, contact Marielle Bryck, Patron Development Officer at 416.367.8243 x327 or [email protected]

1. Our 340 nominations and 66 Dora Awards to date. 2. The VIP guests in 2012’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, such as playwright Judith Thompson, choreographer Peggy Baker, and Kids in the Hall’s Scott Thomson. 3. The David Mamet plays we’ve produced, from Glengarry Glen Ross in our first season to this year’s RACE. 4. The work of Canada’s greatest choreographers on our stage: Crystal Pite, Édouard Lock, and Marie Chouinard. 5. The record-setting 1268 audience members at the closing night of Shakespeare in High Park 2012. 6. The show-stopping musicals—Urinetown, Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Rocky Horror Show, Fire. 7. The 535 participants in our GYM Emerging reasons forprogram. 8. Jason Priestley’s return Donate today for on our very own stage! Artist Outreach to live theatre 9.25 Our international tour of The Overcoat. 10. your The favourite 8000 hours our volunteers contribute seasons reason. each season. 11. Our commitment to maintaining the beautiful heritage buildings at Berkeley 18

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12.13 Major Corporate SPONSORs Proud Sponsor: 12.13 Berkeley Season

Production Sponsor: Tear the Curtain!

Co-Production Sponsor: RACE

CORPORATE SUPPORT Performance Sponsors KPMG LLP Gluskin Sheff & Associates Hilborn LLP Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Production Sponsor: Political Mother

Primary Supporter: Emerging Artist Program

Volunteer Program Sponsor

Discount Ticket Programs Sponsor

Educator Outreach Program Sponsor

COCKTAIL SPONSOR G4S Canada Ltd. RAFFLE PRIZE Mindham Fine Jewellery Official Hotel

Official Television Sponsor

Radio Sponsors

THIS Piano Supplier

Corporate Donors Carol's Flag and Banner Front Print IBM

Shakespeare in High Park

THIS props Donors Chickpea Baby Boutique Greg's Ice Cream Smeg USA

Corporate Donors Barrick Gold Corporation Investor's Group Greg & Susan Guichon SAP Canada Inc. Minto High Park Village

MAJOR AUCTION DONORS Adrian Lang Alf Wirth Amanda Lang Berta Zaccardi and Craig Robertson Bill and Melissa May Bryan Graham Chef Donna Dooher Chris and Krista Thalassinos David Angelo David Young Ed Robertson Emergency Task Force Intact Insurance Company Jason Priestley

John Tory and Barbara Hackett Jones + Co Kevin O’Leary Manulife Financial Mildred’s Temple Kitchen Milo Sturm Moksha Yoga Downtown O’Leary Fine Wines Peter Lyman and Judith Moses Piers Handling Scott Newlands Creative Shangri-La Hotel Toronto Tom Woods Uber Black Car Service Victoria Foley and Paul Fredricks Westjet

foundation support General The Bennett Family Foundation The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation The Judith Teller Foundation The Japan Foundation Toronto Dance Programming The Hal Jackman Foundation

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2012 Canadian Stage

Artistic Development Initiatives The J.P. Bickell Foundation The Joan and Clifford Hatch Foundation The Henry White Kinnear Foundation The John McKellar Charitable Foundation PERFORMING ARTS INTERNSHIP The George Cedric Metcalf Foundation 21

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT

ARTISTIC PATRONS' CIRCLE

Major Gifts

The Artistic Patrons' Circle (APC) is a passionate group of cultural advocates whose invaluable contributions to Canadian Stage help us bring the best contemporary theatre to our audiences. For more information about the APC, please contact Heather McDonald, Associate Director of Development, at 416.367.8243 x244 or [email protected].

Canadian Stage would like to acknowledge the generous leadership of the following individuals: Susan Crocker & John Hunkin

Ron Lalonde & Jane Humphreys

John & Nancy Embry

Maureen & Roger Parkinson

John & Nancy Embry* Ron Lalonde & Jane Humphreys**

Endowment Fund The outstanding gifts of the following supporters play an ongoing role in sustaining the vitality of Canadian Stage’s artistic programming and community outreach initiatives. J.P. Bickell Foundation

William A. MacKinnon

The Sarmite D. Bulte Musical Commission Fund

The John McKellar Charitable Foundation

The Bluma Appel Artistic and Audience Development Fund

The James W. Leech Playwright Fund

The Henry N.R. Jackman Foundation

The Martin Bragg Fund

In Memory of John D’Angelo

Take a Seat Campaign We thank the generous donors who have contributed to our Take a Seat Campaign. For more information on naming a seat, contact Heather McDonald, Associate Director of Development, at 416.367.8243 x244 or hmcdonald@ canadianstage.com. Box: The Appel Family Foundation Trevor Lloyd & Margaret Craw Craig & Kim Loudon Maureen & Roger Parkinson Jack & Judith Rose

* Two Orchestra seats

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Orchestra and Balcony Seats: The Abel & Mason Families David G.P. Allan & Cynthia Young* Hans & Suzy Brenninkmeyer Wendy Marion Cecil Susan Crocker & John Hunkin* In Memory of J. Gordon Fleming

Pacesetters $50,000 +

In memory of Bjorn & Ann-Mari Gasmann Peter & Dianne Gillin* In memory of Marilyn Gould Richard & Pamela Hallisey* Frances & Peter Hogg Edward & Ann Kerwin Ron Lalonde & Jane Humphreys* Catherine Lawrence & Jerome Morse Margaret Ann Pattison

Robert & Penny Richards* Jane Sanderson The Staff & Crew of The St Lawrence Centre for the Arts Sylvia Soyka Tim Thompson & Matthew Campbell George Turnbull & Family In Memory of John David Wood James Peter Howitt Wood

Ambassadors $25,000 - $49,999 Susan Crocker & John Hunkin** Maureen & Roger Parkinson**

Artists UNDERWRITERS $10,000 - $24,999 Appel Family Foundation Nita Farmer & Ken Stowe* The Fleck Family Foundation* Barbara Hackett & John Tory* Jack & Judith Rose** Sandra Simpson Sylvia Soyka** Anonymous

Directors $7,500 - $9,999 Andrée Appleton & Alex Leman* Jill E. Black & Barry Allan** Adrian Lang & Ash Taylor Doug & Alexa Murphy* Gabrielle M.R.Richards

Superstars $5,000 - $7,499 Cathy Bateman Susan & Hans Brenninkmeyer** John Dimitrieff & Patricia Biesecke Dimitrieff* Angela & Bryan Gransden* The William and Nona Heaslip Foundation**

Patrick & Sandra Keeley Mike Leshyk & Andrea Waddell* John & Gail MacNaughton** Emmanuel Pressman James Riley* Robert Rowe Barry Rowland Select Food Products Limited In Memory of John David Wood Anonymous

Stars $2,500 - $4,999 David G. P. Allan & Cynthia A. Young** Schuyler Bankes and Family** Martha Burns & Paul Gross Helen Burstyn* Bruce & Mary Ann Burton* Patti & Gordon Cunningham** Brian Doyle & Victoria Welsh Bob & Irene Gillespie** Peter & Dianne Gillin** Robert Hutchison** Kathy Inch & Steve Simpson* Peter Jelley Matthew Jocelyn† Donald & Marjorie Lenz** Cheryl Longo The Don Middleton and Clayton Wilson Fund** Ian & Patti Milne Noel D. Mowat Anne Marie O'Donovan & Steve Lunn* Sarah Perry & Ronan McGrath Tim & Frances Price** Len & Vivian Racioppo** Rob & Penny Richards*

Ellen & Brian Rose** Joy Rychlik Stephen & Leslie Sigurdson* David Staines Daniel & Sandra Sullivan** Jean & Linda Taillon* Antoinette Tummillo & John Carter George & Mary Turnbull Foundation at the Toronto Community Foundation** Julie Walters & Gerry Frascione Stephen Williamson & Margot Hallman** Susan Willmot Anonymous

Cast Members $1,500 - $2,499 Richard T. Adams & Ken Burke** Anne-Marie H. Applin* Richard Archbold** Tony Baylis & Jacqueline Kirk John & Randi Bitove Murray & Ellen Blankstein** Walter M & Lisa Balfour Bowen Gary Bryck & Renée Barrette Louise Cannon** Melanie Carr & Donald Livingstone Wendy M. Cecil** Margaret Craw & Trevor Lloyd Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney* Ken Drope** Dr. Roy Eappen* Robert & Julia Foster* Ralph & Roslyn Halbert** Pamela Hallisey**

Robert Henderson & Diana Burke* Kathleen Hermant* Jane Hill Ken Hugessen & Jennifer Connolly Su Hutchinson† & Graham Mitchell Brian Imrie & Carol Sewell** Edward & Ann Kerwin** Catherine Lawrence & Jerome Morse* Simon & Cathy Lewis Janet & Sid Lindsay** Larry Lubin** Peter Lyman & Judith Moses Brian & Susan Magee* Jason Martin & Susan Bedford-Martin Heather McDonald† & Dale Marsden John & Kay McKellar Shawn McReynolds & Elaine Kierans* Tenny Nigoghossian†* Perry Orestes & Tim Giguere* Greg & Jennifer Rowe* Monika Skiba George & Henri Stalk Doug & Gail Todgham** Anne & Chris TwiggeMolecey* Chip & Barbara Vallis** Stuart Watson, Drawing Room Architect Inc. Dr. Blossom T. Wigdor, C.M.** Chung Yue Berta Zaccardi & Craig Robertson Anonymous **10 or more years of support *5 or more years of support †Canadian Stage Staff Member

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PARTNERSHIP

government support

With their support, Partners demonstrate their passion for innovative theatre. Canadian Stage salutes our partners for their generosity. For more information about the Partnership Program, please contact Marielle Bryck, Patron Development Officer, at 416.367.8243 x327 or [email protected].

Canadian Stage recognizes the significant support of our public funders:

PATRONS $1,000 - $1,499 Ernest Balmer Karen & Bill Barnett Robert Campbell Lorne Fox* Robert Morassutti** M. A. Pattison** The Schaal Family** Dennis & Denny Starritt** Anonymous (2) ASSOCIATES $750 - $999 David & Patti Bragg** Brodie Edmonds** Denise & Bob Graham** Carol & Peter Foster** Diane & Jim King S. Kirschbaum** H. Ian & Dorothy Macdonald** Jim Milligan** James Moore** Winsor and Ruth Ann Pepall** David Robertson** Tony Stapells** Elizabeth Terry** Joe Wright** BENEFACTORS $500 - $749 Phyllis & David Agg* Marilyn Balan** Rory Barnes Nani Beutel** Michael Christian Margaret E.Cockshutt** Kim Collier† Jill Craigie** Leslie Dan** Thelma Davidson Maggie Dickson** Robert & Ellen Eisenberg** 24

Paul Ellis** Linda Glover Lei-Beng Goh* Ellen Hand* Paul B. Hickey & Mary C. Sheppard** Patrick & Barbara Keenan** Ruth Kenins** Ms. Harriet Lyons Jo-Anne Mackie** Susan Moellers** Eric E. Parker** Maureen Parry** Janice Romaldi Patricia & David Rubin* Jason Silzer** Ivor Simmons** Peter H. Sims** Myrna & Chris Stait-Gardner** Martin Teplitsky Professor Paul Thompson & Jennifer McShane** Jennifer Tory* Dr. Paul Truelove** Morden Yolles* Joan York & Peter Webb** Michael & Mary Zuberec** Anonymous (2) SUPPORTERS $250 - $499 Blaine Allan* Joshua & Karen Auslander** Carmel P. Badour** Laurie Barrett & Giles Meikle** The Bhabha Family* Clare Booker* Andrew & Ann Brown* Barbara Bruser** Cansfield Family** Marjorie Clark** Robert Cook

Leny Crum-Ewing** Tom & Nancy Cutler** Alan & Joan Dessau** William Dunk-Green* Buddy & Leigh Eisenberg** Mr. Christopher Ferguson** Carol & Russel Finch** Briar Foster Linda & Ken Foxcroft** Lynn From** Darren Gobert John & Susan Goddard* Diana Goldsborough Stephen Greiner** Colin Gruchy** Paul & Anne Marie Halliday Karen Henderson** Frances Hogg** Richard & Susan Horner Nancy Howe** S. Iyer** Seona Jennings* Sharon Jorgenson Karen Kalchhauser** In Memory of Jacqueline Kolber** Jill Koplowitz Kevin Lamotte Sheila Laredo & Richard Marcovitz* Fernando Lopez Farrell Macdonald** Louise MacLeod Mrs Isabell McDorman Mr. Gordon McKay* Fiona & Anson McKim** Dr and Mrs Meghory* Lea & Syd Moscoe* Julian Mulock** Ann Murphy Ed & Cindy Nowina

Mary S. Nutson** Maureen & John Orton** Roger Pearce M. Penrose** Graham & Edie Pett** Mr. Walter Pitman* Harold Povilaitis** Georgia Quartaro** Deanna Rosenswig* Sue Russell** J. Douglas Sanderson** Ron Schlumpf Esther Schrieder* Hart Schutz** L. E. Smith & G. Kozorys-Smith** Lorraine Spragg* R. G. Stackhouse** Julia Stavreff** John Stout Earle & Iris Toppings** John & Elizabeth Tory** In Memory of Art & Thelma Trotter** Kaley Walker** Nick & Marg Walker** Ruth Watts-Gransden** Lance & Joycelyn Williams James H. Wilson** Donald L. Woods & Alida Dubray** Joyce & Fred Zemans Anonymous (5) **10 or more years of support *5 or more years of support † Canadian Stage Staff Member Canadian Stage is also grateful for the support of Partners at the Donor and Member levels.

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

We acknowledge the support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage Nous reconnaissons l’appui du gouvernement du Canada par l’entremise du ministère du Patrimoine canadien

As of March 4, 2013 we have made every effort to ensure appropriate recognition. If, however, your name has been accidentally omitted, listed incorrectly or misspelled, please notify us of this error. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. Your name will be added to our patron list when you book tickets, request a brochure or make a donation to Canadian Stage. However, your privacy is our top priority. Canadian Stage is committed to using your information solely for the purpose of communicating with you about special offers, events, and occasional information about other arts organizations we think may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, you can inform us by mail: Canadian Stage, 26 Berkeley St, Toronto, ON M5A 2W3, Attention: Privacy Officer. Privacy policy information is also available on our website canadianstage.com.

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GENERAL INFORMATION Cellphones, pagers, candy wrappers and beeping watches are distracting for performers and audience members. For those who must have access to devices for emergencies, please leave them with the House Manager who will record your seat number and name. Please respect other patrons with sensitivity to perfumes. late arrivals As a courtesy to the audience and artists, latecomers will be seated at an appropriate break in the performance if possible.

CANADIAN STAGE STAFF

photos and recordings The use of cameras and recording devices during performances is strictly prohibited. for more information & customer service Canadian Stage, 26 Berkeley St, Toronto, ON M5A 2W3 Box Office

416.368.3110

Administration

416.367.8243

Facsimile

416.367.1768

Email [email protected]

Artistic & General Director Matthew Jocelyn Managing Director Su Hutchinson

Interns Claire Hill Alexandra Ross

Artistic

Marketing & Communications

Resident Artist Kim Collier Associate Artistic Producer Natasha Mytnowych Artistic & Company Manager Joanne Williams Artistic Consultant Birgit Schreyer Duarte Interns Anne Cleland Darcy Stoop Allison Warwick

Development

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Stagehands and wardrobe/wig attendants engaged by Canadian Stage are represented by Locals 58 and 822, respectively, of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. Canadian Stage is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT) and engages, under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement, professional artists who are members of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. Canadian Stage is a member of the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA).

Event Consultants to Theatre Ball Moorshead & Associates

Executive Director of Advancement Tenny Nigoghossian Associate Director of Development Heather McDonald Corporate & Foundations Officer Elise Chalmers Patron Development Officer Marielle Bryck Development Assistant Ellen Burch

Director of Marketing & Communications Shawn Hernden Patron Systems Administrator Amar Bajracharya Publicist Ashley Ballantyne (rock-it promotions) Online & Social Media Coordinator Trevor Campbell Graphic Design Manager Ted Glaszewski Marketing Coordinator Stefanie Gnys (maternity leave) Sales Manager James Metcalfe Communications Manager Alison Uttley Education & Audience Development Manager Erin Schachter Audience Services Manager Cameron Johnston Senior Patron Services Supervisor Allan Gillespie

Audience Services Supervisors Mark Crawford Ellen Hurley Shaun Shetty Audience Services Representatives Hilary June Hart Blair Irwin Rose Napoli Cydney Penner Nicole Ratjen Telesales Manager Shawn Ahmed Telesales Representatives Michael Crumpton Elana Dunkelman Meredith Henry Alison Neale Pamela MacDonald Berkeley House Manager Joseph Cochrane Berkeley Assistant House Manager Guy Legault Intern Ankita Kumar-Ratta

Production Interim Production Manager Ray Salverda Technical Director Peter Eaton Production Coordinator Jasmine Knox Production Assistant Alanna McConnell Head of Properties Mary Spyrakis

Metcalf Foundation Properties Intern Alex Vass Props Builders Karen Rodd Vanessa Janiszewski Head of Wardrobe Mary-Jo Carter Dodd Cutter Tracey Glass Operations Manager Douglas Arculus Manager of Volunteer Resources & Rental Coordinator Julie Cloutier Bluma Wardrobe Mistress Susan Batchelor Berkeley Senior Head Technician Colin Benoit Berkeley Head Technician Jay Blencowe Junior Head Technician Cecilia Waszczuk

Administration Controller Sandra Cesario Accounts Payable Coordinator Pathma Mahadeva Intermediate Accountant Sabrina Li Payroll & Benefits Coordinator Janet Llewellyn Executive Coordinator Gianna Ceci

BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONNECT WITH CANADIAN STAGE ONLINE and let us know what you thought of the show!

Ron Lalonde* Chair

Tony Baylis* Barbara Hackett* Vice-Chairs

facebook.com/cdnstage

@canadianstage * Executive Committee

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Cathy Bateman Frank Carnevale Councillor Gary Crawford Brian Doyle Peter Jelley Patrick Keeley Adrian Lang* Cheryl Longo Fernando Lopez Peter Lyman*

Councillor Pam McConnell Jason Martin Doug Murphy* Anne Marie O’Donovan John Ozikizler* Manny Pressman Gabrielle M.R. Richards James A. Riley* Robert Rowe Barry Rowland

Joy Rychlik* Monika Skiba David Staines Daniel F. Sullivan Jean Taillon Antoinette R. Tummillo* Stuart Watson M. Scott Wetmore Susan Willmot

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WRITTEN BY

David Mamet raCe Is preseNted by speCIal arraNgemeNt wItH SamueL frencH, inc.

NEW

SU NDA : Y

MATIN E

E

S APR 7, 14 , 21, 28, May 5

JASON PRIESTLEY

MATTHEW EDISON

CARA RICKETTS

NIGEL SHAWN WILLIAMS

BLUMA APPEL THEATRE

APR 7 - MAY 5, 2013

25th anniversary

co-Production sponsor

radio sponsors

Jason Priestley (photo by Manfred Bauman) and Nigel Shawn Williams

Jason Priestley stars in a gripping social and legal drama directed by Daniel Brooks